Eating back calories or not?

Elliesque

I've heard people say different things about eating back calories. The biggest thing I've been hearing from a couple friends who are heavy into fitness is that if I am burning 3 or 4 thousand calories a day and I'm only eating 1500 and not "eating back" any, then I am not eating enough and that isn't good for my metabolism or my body.
So, I started staying at deficit (-1000), and have been eating back calories, not all but at least some. What I've found is that I am losing weight really, really slowly - which sucks. Is it safe to stick at 1500 calories, even if I'm burning 3k or 4k? I stay hydrated, and I do have a protein shake at least once a day either for breakfast or sometimes after power walking. I just want the maximum weight loss possible that is healthy for my body.
Any thoughts or input are appreciated.

SanteMulberry

I've heard people say different things about eating back calories. The biggest thing I've been hearing from a couple friends who are heavy into fitness is that if I am burning 3 or 4 thousand calories a day and I'm only eating 1500 and not "eating back" any, then I am not eating enough and that isn't good for my metabolism or my body.
So, I started staying at deficit (-1000), and have been eating back calories, not all but at least some. What I've found is that I am losing weight really, really slowly - which sucks. Is it safe to stick at 1500 calories, even if I'm burning 3k or 4k? I stay hydrated, and I do have a protein shake at least once a day either for breakfast or sometimes after power walking. I just want the maximum weight loss possible that is healthy for my body.
Any thoughts or input are appreciated.

I don't personally eat every one. But I eat enough to net at least 1,200 calories a day. You wouldn't want your exercise to take you below 1,200 calories consistently. The occasional day of 1,000 to 1,200 is okay but I have seen people on here who only eat 1,200 calories and then put in 600 calories worth of exercise so they are only netting a paltry 600 calories---not a good idea.

I don't eat them all so that I can cover any errors in measurement or overestimating the calories in exercise. But there is a guy on here who has lost mega-weight (Ed Davenport) and he says that he "never left an available calorie on the table"---that he always ate his exercise calories back.

RoadkingDavid

I've heard people say different things about eating back calories. The biggest thing I've been hearing from a couple friends who are heavy into fitness is that if I am burning 3 or 4 thousand calories a day and I'm only eating 1500 and not "eating back" any, then I am not eating enough and that isn't good for my metabolism or my body.
So, I started staying at deficit (-1000), and have been eating back calories, not all but at least some. What I've found is that I am losing weight really, really slowly - which sucks. Is it safe to stick at 1500 calories, even if I'm burning 3k or 4k? I stay hydrated, and I do have a protein shake at least once a day either for breakfast or sometimes after power walking. I just want the maximum weight loss possible that is healthy for my body.
Any thoughts or input are appreciated.

I don't personally eat every one. But I eat enough to net at least 1,200 calories a day. You wouldn't want your exercise to take you below 1,200 calories consistently. The occasional day of 1,000 to 1,200 is okay but I have seen people on here who only eat 1,200 calories and then put in 600 calories worth of exercise so they are only netting a paltry 600 calories---not a good idea.

I don't eat them all so that I can cover any errors in measurement or overestimating the calories in exercise. But there is a guy on here who has lost mega-weight (Ed Davenport) and he says that he "never left an available calorie on the table"---that he always ate his exercise calories back.

I agree. I have lost over 100 pounds. When I decrease net calories to below 1200, I end up on a binge like a true foodie. When I eat back all of my calories, I lose so slowly i feel like I am stuck on a plateau. My net calorie zone is 1200 to 1500 to achieve success. I have 50 more pounds to achieve my ideal weight.

Oh, yeah, I usually burn in the neighborhood of 3,500 calories per week working out.

Morninglory81

Are you sure you are burning 3k-4k daily in exercise? If you are your body also burns an additional x amount of cals depending on height weight age and basic daily activity which easily puts you at 4.5k-5.5k cal daily and probably more. If you only eat 1500 daily you have a deficit of just under to just over 1lb daily. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lb weekly. Eat at a 1000cal deficit for max 2 lb loss weekly.

SanteMulberry

Are you sure you are burning 3k-4k daily in exercise? If you are your body also burns an additional x amount of cals depending on height weight age and basic daily activity which easily puts you at 4.5k-5.5k cal daily and probably more. If you only eat 1500 daily you have a deficit of just under to just over 1lb daily. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lb weekly. Eat at a 1000cal deficit for max 2 lb loss weekly.

I think he said 3,500 weekly (unless he edited it to that).